Conference travel with a carry-on

Although it’s now been a week that I’m back from MICCAI I haven’t had the time to sit down and write the really important posts that I promised several people to write. But to nevertheless share something useful, I’ve documented my packing process for a week of conference travel, with just a carry-on!

I decided to go carry-on only in 2012, when travelling to Japan for a conference, for a trip that lasted two weeks in total. I think it was then that I researched how to actually achieve this, so I looked at lots of packing tips, mixing and matching outfits. Pinterest is pretty great for this:

It’s also when I started printing posters on fabric.

I liked the approach so much that I don’t think I ever checked luggage for a trip afterwards. Since the items I bring for each trip are similar (not the items themselves, but their types and quantity),  I like to think I have gotten quite efficient at the process.

Of course there are much more beautiful posts about packing, but I give you my very real, non-Instagram quality packing process: (WordPress was kind enough to rotate the images to random orientations as well).

Preparation: Get a good carry-on

This is step 0 because you only have to do it once, so it doesn’t really count as a step. I have a lightweight Samsonite carry-on. I cannot find the exact model online anymore, but here’s a pretty similar one on Amazon:

The most important feature for me is that the size is accepted by all airlines.

 

Step 1: Small flat items

Now for the packing! First, I fill in the gaps between the handles of the bag.

I usually put some smaller, but flat items, such as ballerinas/flats and underwear (in plastic bags, not shown).

Step 2: Jacket

Now that the bottom is a bit evened out, I put in my blazer/jacket part of a suit. I admit this probably only works if you are short, like me.

 

Step 3. Add bigger “packs”

Next I add bigger “packs” of shoes or clothes. I do not use any packing cubes, but instead I roll my clothes (bonus: no ironing needed). In the picture below I added 3 “packs”:

• Running shoes (with socks to fill the empty space)
• Bottoms (1 pair of jeans, 2 skirts, 1 pyjama pants)
• Tops (2 long-sleeve things, 3 things with short or no sleeves)

 

 

Step 4. Add smaller “packs”

Now I also added:

• A “pack” of running shorts, shirt and a cap
• A MICCAI 2017 umbrella, a gift from the conference

And now also:

• Toiletries in a 1 liter transparent bag
• Chargers and other small electronics in a waterproof bag

 

Step 5: Leave a bit of space

Now that all the main things are in the suitcase, I fold back the sleeves of the jacket so it stays in a nice shape:

It looks now like the suitcase is full, but that is not really the case. I can still put items on top, and easy close it.

I do this because I also have a personal item (A4-sized shoulder bag) which fits my laptop and a few small items I want to use on the plane. Most airlines allow this, but I still get nervous that I would need to check in the carry-on because I have two bags in total. So, I make sure the whole personal item fits into the carry-on!

For aesthetic purposes, here is a picture of the two biggest items from my shoulder bag inside the suitcase: my laptop and Travelrest travel pillow. But the bag itself with the smaller items (wallet, headphones etc) still fits on top.

 

All done!

And no, I didn’t pack the cat 🙂

 

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How do you travel for conferences? If you check luggage, would you consider going with just a carry-on instead?  I would love to hear your thoughts!